INTERNATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN ASSOCIATION DENIED RECOMMENDATION FOR REINSTATEMENT OF CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

Committee on NGOs

45^th and 46^th Meetings (AM & PM)

INTERNATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN ASSOCIATION DENIED RECOMMENDATION FOR REINSTATEMENT

OF CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

The International Gay and Lesbian Association (ILGA) was denied a recommendation for reinstatement of its consultative status with the Economic and Social Council this afternoon, as a result of the first vote taken in the resumed 2001 session of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

The Committee took that action after a heated procedural debate that spanned the morning and afternoon meetings, following a morning question and answer session with a representative of the NGO.  Much of the controversy in the questioning period revolved around the strength of the organization’s condemnation of paedophilia, as well as contrasting views on the notion of equality based on sexual orientation.

The ILGA’s application for special consultative status is contained in document E/C.2/2001/CRP.5.  The organization had its roster consultative status suspended in 1995, due to similar controversy.

Voting, in the eight to six roll-call, to reject the recommendation for consultative status this afternoon were:  the Russian Federation, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia, China, Ethiopia, Lebanon and Pakistan.

Voting against that rejection were Romania, the United States, Bolivia, Chile, France and Germany.  Turkey, Algeria, Colombia, Cuba and India abstained from voting.

Organizations that have special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council can attend meetings of the Council and circulate statements of a certain length; those with general status can, in addition, speak at meetings and propose items for the Council’s agenda.  Reports on activities in support of the United Nations are required by all organizations with general and special consultative status.  Organizations with roster status can attend meetings but are not required to submit reports.

This morning, the Committee took up where it had left off yesterday afternoon, in a question and answer discussion with the representative of ILGA. Members and State representatives with observer status continued to inquire about ILGA’s condemnation of paedophilia, and its apparent opposition to age-of-consent laws and restrictions on juvenile sexuality.  They asked about the status of ILGA members who had not signed on to the paedophilia condemnation. 

Representatives also asked for clarification of rights advocated by the organization that were related to sexual orientation, along with descriptions of the organization’s recent activities.  The representatives of Egypt and Syria, speaking as observers, expressed deep concern about the organization’s relations with the “Man-Boy Love Association,” even though that association was no longer a member. 

The representative of Canada, also speaking as an observer, asked why all the questions concerned the past; the organization, she said, had explicitly condemned paedophilia in its constitution and before the Committee.  She asked about its activities to counter the spread of HIV/AIDS.  The representatives of Sudan, France, Ethiopia, Algeria, Germany, Pakistan and Egypt also took part in questioning the ILGA representative, along with the representative of Iran, who also participated as an observer.

The ILGA representative said that the 1997 constitution of her organization took a strong position against paedophilia; members had to sign onto the condemnation.  If they had not signed, they were no longer members, she said.  In addition, ILGA recognized the age of consent as 18, as required by the Convention on the Rights of the Child; the Man-Boy Love Association had been definitively expelled, along with other organizations that advocated any similar views.  Some of those organizations were, indeed, founding members, but that was a historical fact based on events of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s; the organization had changed much since then.

The organization’s fight against discrimination based on sexual orientation was founded on principles and statutes that regarded all persons equal before the law, she said.  Education on that issue was needed, just as it was on gender discrimination, which seemed an unclear concept only two decades ago, she continued.  She outlined recent activities related to United Nations conferences on women and on HIV/AIDS.

After hearing the organization’s explanations, the representative of Sudan said that crystal-clear proof of its opposition to paedophilia had not been provided; consultative status should therefore not be recommended.  The representative of Germany proposed further work on reaching a consensus in the Committee, as he was somewhat satisfied with the answers of the NGO but required further documentation.

It was at that point, this morning that the procedural debate ensued.  It concerned whether or not immediate action should be taken to deny or support a recommendation.  The representatives of France, the United States and Pakistan spoke in that debate before the morning’s meeting broke into consultations which lasted through the meeting’s adjournment and into the afternoon meeting. 

This afternoon, on the basis of his consultations with delegates and the Secretariat, the Chairman ruled that a vote would take place on the proposal by Sudan to immediately reject the recommendation.  A challenge by the United States to that ruling was rejected by the vote of eleven delegations rejecting the challenge against the seven who supported it.

Speaking in explanation of the vote before the vote were the representatives of Senegal, Lebanon, Pakistan, who thought enough material had been presented to determine their vote on the issue; in the cases of Senegal and Pakistan, their representatives expressed doubt that they could support any homosexual organization. 

Also speaking before the vote, the representatives of Chile, Germany, Bolivia, Colombia and Romania regretted the fact that more time was not given for evidence-gathering and for consensus to be reached, as the organization was doing valuable civil rights work.  The representative of France, supporting those delegations, added that a substantive debate on the issue had not been given a chance to take place.  He cited resolutions of various United Nations organs and conventions to show that the concerns of ILGA were indeed concerns of the Organization.

The representative of the United States, who said his Government had sought the earlier suspension of the organization because of the paedophilia issue, said he had not seen any proof that the organization now condoned paedophilia.  On the contrary, he saw evidence that the NGO was saving lives in the struggle against HIV/AIDS.

Speaking in explanation of the vote after the vote, the representative of Algeria said that her abstention should in no way be interpreted as condoning paedophilia, which Algeria condemned.

The representatives of India, Sudan, Algeria, Russian Federation, Pakistan, Bolivia, Tunisia, Ethiopia and Turkey made general statements after the vote.

The NGO Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow to continue its consideration of applications for consultative status and requests for reclassification of status.

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